§ 70.104. Powers and duties.

The Tourist Council shall have the following powers and duties:

(a)

To conduct public hearings to receive information from the public with respect to the effectiveness of the existing tourist development efforts by both public and private agencies, organizations and businesses and the need for additional or different tourist development efforts.

(b)

To recommend a method of coordination of existing tourist development efforts by both public and private agencies, organizations and businesses and of new or additional tourist development efforts to obtain maximum economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the tourist development efforts in and for the General Services District.

(c)

To identify and recommend methods of eliminating unnecessary duplications in existing tourist development efforts by both public and private agencies, organizations and businesses and preventing or minimizing such duplications of new or proposed tourist development efforts.

(d)

To identify and develop new tourist development efforts by both public and private agencies, organizations and businesses.

(e)

To create, prepare and submit to the Council a tourist development plan in the manner prescribed by F.S. § 125.0104, and, from time to time thereafter, make recommendations to the Council for changes to the tourist development plan.

(f)

From time to time, to make recommendations to the Council for the effective operation of the special projects or uses of the tourist development tax revenue provided for in the tourist development plan.

(g)

To review the expenditures of revenues from the Tourist Development Tax Special Revenue Fund and to report unauthorized expenditures to the City Council and the State Department of Revenue as required by F.S. § 125.0104.

(h)

To adopt, amend and repeal rules and to implement the provisions of any ordinance for which it is responsible.

(i)

To submit an annual report to the Mayor and the Council of its activities and of the problems and progress of the tourist development efforts in and for the General Services District.

(j)

To implement and administer the Tourist Development Plan provided in Section 666.108, Ordinance Code, and in accordance with Section 70.105, Ordinance Code.

(k)

Award grants pursuant to the Tourist Development Council Grant Guidelines approved in Ordinance 2018-472-E ("Grant Guidelines") and recommend to City Council for approval amendments to the Grant Guidelines provided that such amendments are consistent with the Tourist Development Plan.

(l)

To recommend activities and projects to the City Council to be funded from the Development Account and Contingency Account established pursuant to Sections 111.600 and 666.108, Ordinance Code;

(m)

To authorize during each contract year of a contract term a one-time lump sum advance payment to the City's contracted "county destination marketing organization (DMO)", as defined in F.S. § 288.923, of up to ten percent of each year's contract amount, including any renewal terms, to provide necessary start-up funds for the DMO to commence services under the Plan for the contract year; and

(n)

To develop and implement rules, policies and restrictions regarding the advance payments authorized by the Tourist Council under subsection (m) of this Section.

(Ord. 78-559-277, § 1; Ord. 83-591-400, § 1; Ord. 2016-599-E , § 3; Ord. 2018-472-E , § 2; Ord. 2018-535-E , § 1)

Note— Former § 60.104.